Lighting device for a motor vehicle

Abstract

A lighting device for a motor vehicle includes a first light source for producing visible light and a MEMS scanner in which a single tiltable mirror is integrated. A light spot, which is generated by the lighting device at a distance from the latter, can be moved by a scanning movement of the mirror. A control apparatus is provided in the lighting device and can be used to operate the lighting device in a first mode of operation. The control apparatus is further configured to operate the lighting device in a second mode of operation. Moreover, a sensor apparatus is provided, such that in the second mode of operation, the apparatus detects as sensor data light radiation which originates from the surroundings of the motor vehicle and which is incident on the mirror. The control apparatus carries out object recognition by way of evaluation of the sensor data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle, the illumination apparatus comprising:
 a first light source for producing visible light; 
 a MEMS scanner comprising a MEMS device having a semiconductor chip, wherein an individual tiltable mirror is integrated in the MEMS device, and a light spot that is generated by the illumination apparatus at a distance from the illumination apparatus is movable via a scanning movement of the mirror, during which the mirror is continuously tilted; 
 a sensor device; and 
 a control device with which the illumination apparatus operable in a first operating mode in which the light spot is generated from light from a switched-on first light source and the MEMS scanner performs a vector scan in order to produce a prescribed light distribution by way of movement of the light spot, wherein: 
 the scanning movement of the mirror in the vector scan is varied in dependence on the prescribed light distribution such that the light spot runs over each contiguous region in the prescribed light distribution when the first light source is continuously switched-on, 
 the control device is configured to operate the illumination apparatus in a second operating mode in which the MEMS scanner performs a raster scan in which the mirror performs linear movements that are offset with respect to one another at a fixed oscillation frequency as a scanning movement, 
 the sensor device is configured such that the sensor device captures, in the second operating mode, light radiation that comes from an environment of the motor vehicle and is incident on the mirror as sensor data, and 
 the control device is further configured to perform object detection by evaluating the sensor data. 
 
     
     
       2. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the illumination apparatus is configured such that the first light source or a second light source is switched on in the second operating mode in order to generate the light spot and to move the light spot by way of the raster scan of the MEMS scanner, and 
 light coming from the light spot that is reflected back to the illumination apparatus through interaction with the environment and is incident on the mirror is captured by the sensor device as at least part of the sensor data. 
 
     
     
       3. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the second light source is configured to produce light in a non-visible spectrum. 
     
     
       4. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the light is infrared light. 
     
     
       5. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first light source is an LED light source composed of one or more LEDs, or a laser light source composed of one or more laser diodes. 
     
     
       6. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first light source is an RGB light source composed of a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED, or a laser light source comprised of a red laser diode, a green laser diode, and a blue laser diode. 
     
     
       7. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first light source, the MEMS scanner, and the sensor device are installed in a common housing. 
     
     
       8. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control device is configured to operate the illumination apparatus in a third operating mode in which the MEMS scanner performs a raster scan, in which the mirror performs linear movements that are offset with respect to one another at a fixed oscillation frequency as a scanning movement, and 
 the first light source or a further light source producing visible light is switched on in the third operating mode in order to generate the light spot and to move the light spot by way of the raster scan of the MEMS scanner in order to produce a predetermined light distribution. 
 
     
     
       9. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the control device is configured such that, when a signal that is generated in the motor vehicle triggered by the approach of a person toward the motor vehicle is received, the control device places the illumination apparatus from an inactive state into an operating state, in particular into the first or second or third operating mode. 
     
     
       10. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the operating state is the first operating mode, the second operating mode, or the third operating mode. 
     
     
       11. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the control device is configured such that the control device initially places the illumination apparatus into the second operating mode when the signal is received, until it detects the person by way of the object detection by evaluating the sensor data, whereupon the control device places the illumination apparatus into the first or third operating mode in order to produce the prescribed light distribution. 
     
     
       12. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the prescribed light distribution is produced on a ground adjacent to the person. 
     
     
       13. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control device is configured to detect, as part of the object detection, a mobile radio device in the environment of the motor vehicle, 
 upon detection of the mobile radio device, the control device aligns the mirror of the MEMS scanner with the mobile radio device such that light radiation coming from the mobile radio device, including information contained in the light radiation is received by the sensor device, and 
 the control device is configured to read the information from the light radiation and further process the information. 
 
     
     
       14. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the information contained in the light radiation comprises image data describing an image, and 
 the control device is configured to operate the MEMS scanner as part of the further processing in the first or third operating mode such that the image is produced as the prescribed light distribution. 
 
     
     
       15. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the prescribed light distribution is produced on a ground in the environment of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       16. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control device is configured to detect, by way of the object detection in the second operating mode, a person who is looking in a direction of the illumination apparatus, and 
 upon detection of the person, the control device reduces a light output of the first light source during an operation. 
 
     
     
       17. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a vicinity illumination device in order to generate the prescribed light distribution in a vicinity of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
       18. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a headlight which is configured to generate at least one of a low beam distribution or a high beam distribution as the prescribed light distribution. 
     
     
       19. The illumination apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle signaling lamp which is configured to produce a signal function by way of the prescribed light distribution. 
     
     
       20. A motor vehicle comprising one or more illumination apparatuses according to  claim 1 .